Republicans keep up the heat on gas stoves

Jan 30, 2024

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), ranking member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, has helped lead the charge on Capitol Hill against gas stove rules. | J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Republicans are still trying to ignite outrage over gas stoves despite broad support for the Biden administration’s new energy efficiency standards.

The standards, released Monday and set to take effect in 2028, would prohibit only 3 percent of the gas stoves on the market.

That’s far less than the 50 percent that would have been affected under an initial proposal from the Department of Energy. It’s also more modest than the efficiency standards for numerous other appliances like washers and dryers.

Nevertheless, GOP rhetoric remains heated, write Brian Dabbs and Nico Portuondo.

“Once again, the Biden administration is taking aim at your household appliances,” said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee. “The Biden administration is waging a multifaceted attack on natural gas and popular appliances.”

Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) said the administration just “slapped a new face on its plan to dictate what is acceptable.” And Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) said the government “should not be imposing its will upon free markets.“

The statements are just the latest in a monthslong battle, in which Republicans have held up gas stoves as a symbol of the Biden administration’s energy policy.

The discourse has at times verged on the absurd, with Republicans falsely accusing President Joe Biden of wanting to ban gas stoves or even remove existing appliances from Americans’ homes. In one memorable tweet last year, Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) invited the White House to take his gas stove “from my cold dead hands.”

The reality is far less harrowing.

DOE’s rule has the support of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, which called it “a win for consumers, appliance manufacturers, and energy savings.”

The agency expects the new standards to lower carbon dioxide emissions by almost 4 million metric tons over 30 years, or about the annual emissions of 500,000 households. That’s modest as far as efficiency standards go; a proposed standard for residential water heaters, for example, would cut an estimated 500 million metric tons of CO2.

Some Republicans are happy with that compromise. Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) — who led House passage of a bill against the original rulemaking — welcomed the rule, as did Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.).

But others may keep the drama alive. House Republicans could decide to keep a rider against the rule in their fiscal year 2024 DOE funding bill or may look to block energy efficiency standards for gas furnaces and other appliances through legislation.

It's Tuesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Christian Robles. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to crobles@eenews.net.

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Power Centers

A crew repairs a utility pole damaged by the winter storm that passed through Odessa, Texas, in 2021.

A crew repairs a utility pole damaged by the winter storm that passed through Odessa, Texas, in 2021. | Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP

Is Texas' grid blackout-proof?
Questions remain on whether an updated Texas grid could withstand a future storm as powerful as 2021's Winter Storm Uri, writes Jason Plautz.

Texas has implemented several changes since Uri blacked out much of the state, including additional oversight of how power plants prepare for extreme cold and a more diverse mix of energy sources.

Experts say it's only a matter of time before a storm as powerful as Uri stress-tests Texas’ grid.

LNG's climate impact
The Department of Energy is looking into how liquefied natural gas exports affect climate change. Its findings could make the administration’s pause on new LNG exports permanent, writes Jean Chemnick.

If DOE finds LNG exports release significant emissions, it could become harder for new projects to show that their economic benefits outweigh climate impacts. DOE has previously found LNG exports emit minimal greenhouse gas.

The shrinking Colorado River
A drought-stricken Colorado River will likely mean less water for agriculture, increasing food prices and reliance on foreign fruits and vegetables, writes Jennifer Yachnin.

The Biden administration is negotiating a new Colorado River management plan, which will inform water use cuts should drought conditions continue.

Farmers and water managers expect thousands of acres of farmland to retire in the future but do not expect to abandon crops like alfalfa that are used to make hay for cattle.

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Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.).

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the special House committee dedicated to countering China, is seen on Capitol Hill last year. | Alex Brandon/AP

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That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.

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